Bush's California

NPR had two stories this morning on how the Bush Administration, the GOP and their business partners want to cut the idea of California's ability to make it's own state policy off at the knees.

First, Congress wants to pass a nationwide regulation of Food Warnings that will prevent California, or any other cutting edge state, from passing our own strong consumer protection laws on food safety. The legislation directly targets Propostiion 65...you know, the one that tells pregnant women foods to avoid and keeps out lead-poisoned candy. (The legislation is written so broadly, however, that it might even overstep traditionally state run Agriculture and Food Inspection agencies.) The upshot, in a nutshell, is that in the name of a "federal" law promoting "standards", big business will have far fewer restrictions and us consumers will get less information about what's in our food. Anyone who thinks that Bush's "standards" would be anything other than a giveaway to his corporate buddies is kidding themselves.

Second, the Bush Adminstration wants to impose a "prove you need it" standard on minority and disabled small business programs or DBE's....something the State of California has been a pioneer on. Hmm. Big business ruthlessly discriminates and excludes for decades...and then it's the guy in the wheelchair who has to prove he needs a fair shake chance at the table. Here again, Grover Norquist's priorities are being imposed on California.
The GOP talks a good "states rights" game...but like everything they do...it's a one way street. States rights only applies when it favors policies that they and their business buddies like.

Democracy should mean that we get to decide and debate on the important things. We is the people, the citizens...not the corporate buddies at the ears of the President and the GOP.

My question. When will regular Americans wake up and smell the coffee?

Until we kick some GOP butt this is unlikely to change. As I've said repeatedly, the only language the GOP understands is being voted out of office.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I heard these stories too! And as a California resident, I like to think that I live in a little piece of blue state heaven. These stories profoundly disturbed that image. The narratives of the disabled small business owners and the discrimination they face were particularly moving. Yes, the GOP needs to be booted out so that big corporations don't run our state AND the rest of our country. Anyone we can write to besides Ah-nold?

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